Wine: Balancing the two kinds of ripe

Choosing the right grape for the right place makes all the difference in winemaking

Ripe on the outside, but are they ripe on the inside? There are two kinds of ripeness that winemakers look at when deciding when to pick.

MONTREAL - Following my article on Northern Rhône syrah, I received an email from a reader asking why I felt that it was there that the syrah grape performs best. “Syrah is grown all over the world,” he wrote. “Isn’t it more the case of how the grapes are grown and how a wine is made that make the difference?”

It’s a brilliant question. I was not implying that syrah should be grown only there. I have visited a number of regions where syrah does very well. But there was something special about the Northern Rhône that made it exceptional. It’s the mix of soil and climate that allows wineries to produce exceptional wine, year in, year out, no matter what Mother Nature throws at them. And it comes down to how the grape ripens.

There are two types of ripe when talking wine grapes. One, sugar ripeness, is very easy to understand. When grapes first appear on a vine, they are very high in acid and low in sugar. As the season progresses, acids go down, and sugar goes up. Winemakers ideally want enough sugar to give the wine a reasonable amount of alcohol while having enough acidity at picking time to keep a wine fresh, without being overly sour.

Seems easy enough, but there is another type of ripe that can mess up the best laid plans. It’s called phenolic ripeness. Phenolic compounds are found in the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes and will dictate the wine’s aromas, tannins and colour.

Unfortunately, these two types of ripe sometimes don’t proceed at the same pace. Especially in warmer climates, what often happens is that phenolic ripeness lags behind. And here is where choosing the appropriate grape for the place makes all the difference. When I travel, I look at how a grape variety performs in a particular region as a whole; I try to assess the raw material — the juice that the winemaker is using to make the wine.

The juice doesn’t lie. Just because a vine produces fruit does not mean that it should be grown there. I have been to a number of regions where the winemakers are forced to adjust the juice on every vintage because they had to wait for the phenolics to catch up to the sugar ripeness. The result is that by the time the tannins are ripe, the sugars are off the charts. That can explain why many warm climate reds have 14.5 per cent alcohol levels, or even higher.

This can mean adding acids or tannin — or even more intrusive interventions. While these interventions, if done well, can be subtle, I can often taste them in the final wine. And if the winemaker is forced to do the same thing, year in year out, then I question whether they are growing the right grape. As many grapes are planted for commercial reasons, as opposed to being the right grape for the place, I run into this quite often.

Choices made in the vineyard, like how the vines are trained, how many grape bunches are grown per vine and deciding which leaves to pluck off the vine as the grapes ripen, are all key decisions. Grape growers can slow down the sugar ripeness and get closer to achieving this balance between the two types of ripe.

I know this is heady stuff, but it’s a bit of insight to what I look for when I travel the globe tasting wines. So to answer my reader’s question — the syrah in the Northern Rhône showed this exemplary balance. Ripe and fresh fruit, ripe tannin, natural acidity, and all at reasonable alcohol levels between 12.5 and 13.5 per cent.

And this happens nearly every vintage, not just from time to time.

One of the most overused phrases in the wine world is “a wine is made in the vineyard.” A more honest version would be that “a wine should be made in the vineyard.” The most important factor is how a grape ripens and when it is picked. Winemakers have total control over the “when,” but much less over the “how.” Planting the right grape in the right place makes that job a whole lot easier.

I don’t write about it often enough, but I am a lover of fine alcohols. Here are a few suggestions of some excellent ones that I have tasted recently.

Rum, Anejo, Brugal, Dominican Republic Rum, $27.30, SAQ #11662683. An amber rum made with rums aged between 2 and 5 years. This is excellent sipping rum that is remarkably dry and finessed. Hints of caramel and vanilla, and a long smooth finish. I like it with a cube of ice.

Whiskey, Son of Bourye, High West, United States spirit, $88, SAQ #12167975. Made in Utah, the spiciest whisky I have tasted in awhile. Bourbon based with added rye. Certain rawness that I really like and isn’t sweet like a classic Bourbon. Texture comes from the corn, and the spice, cinnamon and nutmeg, from the rye. Great sipping whisky.

Scotch Single Malt, 14 year, Caribbean Cask, Balvenie, Scotland spirit, $110.25, SAQ #11909965. One of the smoothest malts I have tasted. The rum cask finish adds a hint of sweetness, spice and vanilla, while the 14 years of aging makes the base malt like drinking satin.

Bas Armagnac 1973, Baron Gaston Legrand, France Brandy, $150, SAQ #12013221 (signature store only). Pricey, yes, but one of the best Armagnacs I have ever tasted. More on the fruit than the barrel, as in cognac, shows notes of orange rind, dried fruits, sweet spice, and a long, refreshing finish. Drink this straight up and at room temperature to get everything from the aromatics.

> Suggestions: I don’t write about it often enough, but I am a lover of fine alcohols. Here are a few suggestions of some excellent ones that I have tasted recently.

Rum, Anejo, Brugal, Dominican Republic Rum, $27.30, SAQ #11662683. An amber rum made with rums aged between 2 and 5 years. This is excellent sipping rum that is remarkably dry and finessed. Hints of caramel and vanilla, and a long smooth finish. I like it with a cube of ice.

Whiskey, Son of Bourye, High West, United States spirit, $88, SAQ #12167975. Made in Utah, the spiciest whisky I have tasted in awhile. Bourbon based with added rye. Certain rawness that I really like and isn’t sweet like a classic Bourbon. Texture comes from the corn, and the spice, cinnamon and nutmeg, from the rye. Great sipping whisky.

Scotch Single Malt, 14 year, Caribbean Cask, Balvenie, Scotland spirit, $110.25, SAQ #11909965. One of the smoothest malts I have tasted. The rum cask finish adds a hint of sweetness, spice and vanilla, while the 14 years of aging makes the base malt like drinking satin.

Bas Armagnac 1973, Baron Gaston Legrand, France Brandy, $150, SAQ #12013221 (signature store only). Pricey, yes, but one of the best Armagnacs I have ever tasted. More on the fruit than the barrel, as in cognac, shows notes of orange rind, dried fruits, sweet spice, and a long, refreshing finish. Drink this straight up and at room temperature to get everything from the aromatics.

Twitter: BillZacharkiw

Facebook: billzacharkiwwine

You can hear Bill Zacharkiw talk about wine on CHOM-FM (97.7) every Friday at 7:45 a.m.

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